LIBSENSE ECR Ghana Virtual Roundtable at the International Open Access Week 2025

Name: LIBSENSE ECR Ghana Virtual Roundtable at the International Open Access Week 2025
Start: 2025-10-24T10:00:00+01:00
End: 2025-10-29T19:00:00+01:00
Location: No location set

24 Oct 2025, 10:00 → 29 Oct 2025, 19:00 Africa/Lagos

Description

The 2025 International Open Access Week, themed - 'Who Owns Our Knowledge?', invites reflection on the tension between knowledge as a shared public good and as a commodity controlled by publishers and commercial platforms.

For Early Career Researchers, this question underscores critical issues of equity, integrity, and sustainability in scholarly communication. The roundtable brings together librarians and researchers to explore how Creative Commons (CC) licensing can empower knowledge creators to retain rights, enhance visibility, and promote responsible sharing. By bridging perspectives from both groups, the session seeks to deepen understanding of ownership, licensing, and access in the context of Open Access publishing.

The 60-minute roundtable will include short presentations, reflective discussions, and an open dialogue segment to unpack the theme and explore practical pathways for adopting CC licensing in research practice. Participants will learn about different types of CC licenses, the roles of authors, publishers, and institutions in knowledge ownership, and how librarians can support responsible licensing choices. Expected outcomes include increased awareness of CC licensing, shared insights on the challenges and opportunities of Open Access, and practical recommendations for embedding CC licensing in institutional strategies.

The event targets academic librarians, researchers, repository managers, and Open Access advocates committed to advancing equitable and sustainable scholarly communication.

LIBSENSE ECR Ghana

libsense@ren.africa

Friday, 24 October
- Fri, 24 Oct
- 1
  Opening Segment
  
  Speaker: Moderator
  - a) Welcome and Introduction of Theme
    
    o Brief overview of Open Science Week 2025 and the international theme
    o Introduction of the sub-theme: “Creative Commons Licensing for Librarians and Researchers”
    o Purpose of the discussion: linking open licensing, visibility, and responsible sharing in African research contexts
    
    LIBSENSE Ghana OA Week Roundtable.pdf
  - b) Opening Remarks from Partner Institutions
    
    o LIBSENSE Africa Representative
    o Partnering institutions: the Balme Library, UHAS Library, ATU Library, Central University Library, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development Library
- 2
  Panel Discussion
  - a) Libraries and Institutional Policy
    
    How libraries integrate Creative Commons into repositories, researcher support, and capacity building
    
    Speaker: Dr Richard Lamptey
  - b) Infrastructure and Collaboration
    
    Strengthening open science infrastructure and interoperability across RENs, libraries, and ministries
    
    Speaker: Mr Lucas Chigabatia
  - c) Research Practice and Awareness
    
    Researchers’ experiences, motivations, and challenges in open access and licensing
    
    Speaker: Dr Hubert Amu
  - d) Publishing Standards and Visibility
    
    Role of DOAJ and CC licensing in journal quality and visibility
    
    Speaker: Mrs Angela Arkins
  - e) Advocacy and Policy Integration
    
    Moving from awareness to sustained open science practice and policy adoption
    
    Speaker: Mr Mohammed Awal
- 3
  
  Audience Interaction
  
  • Live Q&A session: participants submit questions via chat
  • Moderator selects 2–3 questions directed to specific panellists
  • Brief reflections from panellists
- 4
  
  Closing Segment
  
  • Summary of key insights and takeaways (Moderator)
  • Acknowledgment of panellists, participants, and partners
  • Call to action: advancing Creative Commons awareness and open science practice within institutions
  • Closing remarks by LIBSENSE ECR Ghana representative